Mixed feelings

These are solid festival style shorts, though the author/director is very terse about what they tell us and what they want us to figure out. Unfortunately, their directorial choices do leave those of us not used to thinking like an author somewhat in the dark. The long silences of actors told to continue an inner feeling while the camera lingering for what feels a bit like an eternity gives these an opacity that leaves us unsatisfied. One can figure out what the director intends to be telling if one is familiar with the types of story lines these are... but many will be left confused.

That said, the young actors, though a bit stiff still in their early careers, are adorable to watch, and sincere in their work. Each actors own personality is flavorful and delightful to take in. The production values are high.

It is simply that the narrative is a bit hard to discern. The visual storytelling misses some important moments that want to be clearer. We are not sure if the runner, Ball, has encountered two friends or boyfriends. When we finally make a guess at which, we still don't know the feelings of the one he met toward him, we are unsure.

Folk ( who I could watch reading an excel spreadsheet and be happy) and Petch (also always watchable) their story is one of the clearest. I absolutely adore Pluggy and will watch his career with enthusiasm. Son is a fine actor and I look forward to him in roles that give him much more range to express. Understanding this one and the one with Taro and Nokia, one finally discerns that the author wants to tell us stories about being a teen and figuring out the mess that is early love and early relationships., not unlike their theme in "Thank God It's Friday" to which these are companion pieces. Once you get that, they all make more sense, though the storytelling remains cloudy.

One thing that would help the storytelling would be better editing. Relying on the long silent pensive shot of actors is not working here. It worked in Love Sick, but not here (it's even worse in TGIF which left me yelling at the TV screen several times). It looks like an example of a director thinking something is a good idea in their head rather than it being organic to the story. Over-thinking, in a sense.

A tip to the actors: acting is not u=just the look on your face from what is inside: it is what you DO, the actions you take... so take actions. If the director does not give you any (and doesn't object) improvise your own going on the script and your character and relationship to the other characters.

The biggest lack in the story telling is Love. There are too few expressions of kindness, caring and love in the stories that are about burgeoning love for us to really feel its presence. (this is why the ones about failed love seem clearer) There are terse, small demonstrations of it.. but here I feel the director is being spare and coy as if a minimalist .. thinking "You don't hit the audience over the head with it." That is a noble idea, but it is equally true that you don't invite the audience to have soup and feed them rice water. This is a bit like rice water in the Love department. We watch to witness and evoke Love. Give us more Love, please. We need it. That is one of the great gifts of art.

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